Iraq’s exports of oil products decline to 2.35 tons in Q1 2026

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) revealed on Tuesday that Iraq’s exports of oil products during the first quarter of 2026 declined compared to the same period in 2025.

According to official figures released by the state-owned company responsible for marketing Iraq’s oil, Baghdad exported 2.35 tons of oil products between January and March 31, 2026. This quantity consists of 2.11 tons of fuel oil and 234,503 tons of naphtha.

Iraq’s oil product exports in the first quarter of 2026 fell by 444,634 tons compared to the same period in 2025, when they reached 2.79 tons, marking a 15.9 percent decline.

Iraq did not export any sulfur during the first three months of this year, according to SOMO.

Iraq is OPEC’s second-largest oil producer, but it still relies on imports for some refined petroleum products due to limited local refining capacity and the outdated condition of some facilities.

The Iraqi Ministry of Oil is carrying out several strategic development projects to raise the refining capacity of national refineries and meet growing domestic demand.

The spokesperson for the Oil Ministry, Salim al-Rikabi, confirmed earlier in June that the government will continue to make efforts to improve local output in the coming months.

Al-Rikabi explained that the projects currently under construction include major refineries in the provinces of Diwaniyah, Maysan, Najaf, and Anbar.

These new refining projects will immediately contribute to the supply of petroleum products to the local market.